In 1718, Edward Teach, also known as the pirate Blackbeard, was killed off North Carolina's Outer Banks during a bloody battle with a British navy force.

In 1935, a Pan American Martin 130 "flying boat" called the China Clipper began regular trans-Pacific mail service. The flight from San Francisco to Manila, Philippines, took 59 hours and 48 minutes.

In 1950, a train wreck in New York City killed 79 people.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas and Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the nation's 36th chief executive. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and later named by the Warren Commission as the man who fired the fatal shots. But, Oswald also was slain before he could go to trial.

In 1972, the State Department ended a 22-year ban on U.S. travel to China.

In 1977, the Anglo-French supersonic Concorde jetliner began scheduled flights to New York from London and Paris.

In 1989, newly elected Lebanese President Rene Moawad died in bomb blast that also killed 17 other people in Syrian-patrolled Moslem West Beirut.

Also in 1989, 12 U.S. Green Berets were evacuated from the San Salvador Sheraton. They were the last of nearly 100 people trapped when leftist rebels seized the hotel.

In 1990, Prime Minister Thatcher resigned after 11 years in office as England's longest-serving leader of the 20th century.

In 1991, the State Department invited Israel and Arab negotiators to begin bilateral peace talks in Washington, D.C.

In 1992, at least 27 people died when tornadoes carved a path of destruction through the South and Midwest.

Also in 1992, 10 women who had worked for or with Sen. Bob Packwood reportedly accused the Oregon Republican of unwelcome sexual advances.

And in 1992, Woody Allen told "60 Minutes" that Mia Farrow vowed to do something "very nasty" to him before she charged him with sexually abusing their adopted seven-year-old daughter.

In 1993, Mexico's Senate approved the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Also in 1993, striking American Airline flight attendants agreed to return to work after President Clinton urged both sides in the labor dispute to seek arbitration.

In 1995, OPEC agreed to maintain its 1994 oil production quotas.

In 1996, Washington announced a review of airbag safety following reports of deaths caused by air bags during deployment.

In 1997, New Zealanders Robert Hamill and Phil Stubbs arrived in Barbados from the Canary Islands in their boat, Kiwi Challenger, after 41 days, one hour and 55 minutes -- a new record for rowing across the Atlantic.

In 2000, while the nation waited to see who would be the next president, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that hand count of the state's presidential ballots could continue. The Republicans had sought to block the recount, brought on by ballot questions in some counties. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled against any further recounting, a move that propelled George W. Bush to the presidency.

In 2002, Red Cross officials reported at least 100 people died in riots in northern Nigeria sparked by a religious controversy over the Miss World beauty pageant.

Also in 2002, Indonesian police reported the capture of the prime suspect in last month's Bali bombings in which around 200 people were killed.

In 2003, the U.S. Senate began debating the $395 billion Medicare prescription drug bill passed earlier in the day by the House. The Senate later passed the measure and President George W. Bush signed it into law.

A thought for the day: President Kennedy said, "If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."

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